FaceTime

FaceTime is Apple's video calling service. It allows anyone with a recent iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Mac to make free calls to any other Apple user over Wi-Fi or cellular connection. On the iPhone, FaceTime is bundled into the Phone app. On the iPod touch, iPad, and Mac, FaceTime is a separate app. On all devices, FaceTime can connect to any Apple-registered iPhone phone number or email address. That makes it perfect for keeping in touch with family who lives far away, with the kids while traveling, with business partners at distant offices, or even with that special someone while shopping for the perfect gift.

With iOS 7, Apple added FaceTime Audio as a way to make voice calls over the same network.

Apple originally announced that they would release FaceTime as an open standard so that third parties to create FaceTime for Android, FaceTime for PC, etc. So far, that hasn't happened. Apple was sued by a patent troll of FaceTime and, after losing on appeal, Apple has been re-architecting FaceTime to work through relay servers. (This could be why FaceTime was never released — it would be subject to the same patent trolling on any other platform.)

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Apple has rolled out two-step verification to the company's iMessage and FaceTime. That allows you to combine your password with a token to help protect your accounts from unauthorized access. That way, even if someone finds or figures out your password, they still won't be able to get into your...

Just in time for the launch of Windows 10, Apple has released a small update for FaceTime camera drivers on the 2015 Macbook, Macbook Pro, and MacBook Air. The update improves the built-in camera's compatibility with Windows while using it with OS X's Boot Camp feature.
Here's what Apple says...

BabyTalk is a free program offered by the Stanford Ear Institute and Weingarten Children's Center that uses Apple's iPad and FaceTime to bring speech therapy to deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the rural areas of California.
Kathy Sussman is executive director at Weingarten, and a passionate...

All FaceTime

Just in time for the launch of Windows 10, Apple has released a small update for FaceTime camera drivers on the 2015 Macbook, Macbook Pro, and MacBook Air. The update improves the built-in camera's compatibility with Windows while using it with OS X's Boot Camp feature.
Here's what Apple says...

Lack of end-to-end-encryption means that conversations on Hangouts, if subject to a legal order, can be wiretapped or otherwise surveilled.
Google hadn't disclosed this information until a recent Reddit AMA (ask me anything) and a Vice follow-up that resulted. It's not clear whether Google has...

Placing FaceTime calls over cellular, especially video, can eat through data quickly if you aren't monitoring them.
Since unlimited cellular data plans are pretty much a thing of the past, most of us keep a watchful eye on our data usage. When it comes to FaceTime, Apple gives you several...

Ever received a FaceTime call, dismissed the notification, and then forgot the email or phone number?
Not every email and phone number we communicate with is always stored in our address books. That's why features like call history are so important. If you use FaceTime audio and video regularly...

BabyTalk is a free program offered by the Stanford Ear Institute and Weingarten Children's Center that uses Apple's iPad and FaceTime to bring speech therapy to deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the rural areas of California.
Kathy Sussman is executive director at Weingarten, and a passionate...

Most people use their Apple ID account not only for iCloud data, but to purchase content from iTunes and the App Store. That means that anyone who gets ahold of your account or manages to change your password could have access to your personal information and credit card information. If you want...

Apple has rolled out two-step verification to the company's iMessage and FaceTime. That allows you to combine your password with a token to help protect your accounts from unauthorized access. That way, even if someone finds or figures out your password, they still won't be able to get into your...

Accessibility, and the use of technology in helping people live better lives, has always been an important focus for Apple. A recent profile shows another amazing example of this at work: A toddler who was born deaf is learning how to talk by remotely connecting him to a speech therapist some...

One of OS X Yosemite's new Continuity features is the ability to accept (and make) phone calls when your iPhone is nearby. Call Relay is an incredibly useful feature, but when all of your devices ring with the same ringtone, it can get distracting. Here's how to give your Mac a distinct ringtone...

Security researchers in Germany have reportedly discovered two ways to both capture and decrypt voice and SMS communications that travel over SS7, a set of protocols used by phone systems. The Washington Post
The flaws discovered by the German researchers are actually functions built into...